David Leslie Mason (born 15 March 1939) is a London art dealer and Thalidomide parent activist. He is the father of a daughter, Louise, disabled by thalidomide.
Mason was educated at Highgate School, where he studied under Kyffin Williams.
Role in thalidomide scandal Mason's daughter Louise Medus was born in 1962 with stunted arms or legs.
Mason alone refused the initial offered settlement of £3 million by Distillers Company, which was only to be awarded if all the parents agreed. As a result of which he and his daughter suffered harassment and ostracism. His daughter was removed from his care, due to action by his solicitors and other parents supporting settlement, who believed he was not acting in her best interests by refusing settlement. He launched an appeal, which was successful due to evidence of a more substantial settlement in the USA ($2.7m to Shirley McCarrick in Los Angeles). Finally, a Sunday Times story prompted Jack Ashley MP to take up the case in Parliament, and Ralph Nader to organise a boycott of Distillers products in the USA. Distillers increased the offer to £5m and then £20m, which was accepted. The settlement is credited with transforming the lives of British thalidomide victims.
The Thalidomide Trust is now largely funded by Diageo, who bought Distillers and its assets and liabilities.
Mason's book Thalidomide: My Fight was published in 1976. He was awarded the OBE in the 1996 Birthday Honours 'for services to health charities'.
Racing record Alongside the family art business, in 1957 he began his involvement with motor racing and in the 1970s he became a sponsor of Formula One. After returning to the sport in 2010, he won the Britcar Endurance Championship in 2014, driving a Ferrari 458 with Calum Lockie. For the 2019 Britcar season, Mason returned once again with British GT driver Ross Wylie, driving a Ferrari 488 Challenge. Mason is one of the oldest active racing drivers competing in endurance racing at 80 years old.
24 Hours of Silverstone results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 2011 Tonge Sport Fred Tonge Tim Hood Darren Dowling Steve Glynn Paul Smith TVR Sagaris 28 2 71 DNF DNF
Complete Britcar results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position in class – 1 point awarded just in first race) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap in class – 1 point awarded all races)
Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Points 2016 FF Corse Ferrari 458 GT3 1 SILGP SNE DON THR CRO SILINT OUL BRH 5th2nd 107 2017FF CorseFerrari 458 GT3 E1 SIL1 SIL2 SNE1 24th 6th 31 S1 SNE2 SIL1 SIL2 BRH1 BRH2 DON1 DON2 OUL1 OUL2 SIL BRH1 BRH2 6th1st 176 2018 FF Corse Ferrari 458 GT3 S1 ROC1 ROC2 SIL1 SIL2 OUL1 OUL2 DON1 DON2 SNE1 SNE2 SIL1 SIL2 BRH1 BRH1 4th1st 257 2019 FF Corse Ferrari 458 Challenge 2 SIL1 SIL2 SIL1 SIL2 BRH1 BRH2 DON1 DON2 OUL1 OUL2 SNE1 SNE2 OUL1 OUL2 BRH1 BRH2 12th 4th 148
References
Further reading A battle won late, The Independent, 25 August 1997 Thalidomide: The Fifty Year Fight, BBC, 15 May 2014 (review in The Daily Telegraph) Effects of Thalidomide "were horrific", BBC News, 15 May 2014 Justice must be absolute, Jack Ashley, The Guardian, 10 February 2009